


Purgatory

by TaxicabKanefessions



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4532364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaxicabKanefessions/pseuds/TaxicabKanefessions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neither Ahkmenrah or Kahmunrah had expected, nor wanted, to be reunited in a museum. But it allowed them to do something they'd never really bothered to do in life: talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Purgatory

The air outside was thick and cold, and hinted of a storm somewhere in the area. It was a feeling Ahkmenrah had become used to since he'd transferred to London, though with a body and wardrobe geared towards the desert it wasn't one he appreciated. At least he had his cloak to wrap around himself as he pushed through the door to the roof and headed out from the warmth of the museum.

Back in New York, it'd taken months for all the recountings of the grand battle at the Smithsonian to die down. Everyone had a unique take on it that simply must be told a few times over, and he'd entertained more than his fair share. Still, he realized, he'd never really bothered to ask any questions about it. None that mattered, anyway.

For instance, had Larry actually walked through the exhibit proper? Was there an empty sarcophagus or simply an empty stand? An area of wall that looked like it still should have held an image, even? He supposed it wouldn't matter to any of the other exhibits. Aside from the taxidermied animals incredibly few had bodies even near New York City, much less inside the museum itself. They wouldn't have thought that it mattered at all what manner of being they were fighting, just that there was a fight to take on.

But Ahkmen knew, and it was far too late in the game to be kicking himself for not being more diligent. It was most likely that Larry had simply wandered past the exhibit, rather than gone in it, due to more pressing matters. If he'd had the opportunity and saw only a stand he would have said something. Ahkmen could have at least guessed that perhaps Kahmunrah hadn't actually left Egypt, and wouldn't until years after his fabled defeat. That he hadn't been alive at all, in the sense that the tablet allowed for, until a few days ago when the museum announced a new addition.

Aside from a few choice words to his father, Kahmun spent as much of his waking time as possible silent and absent. Being new and hardly interested in socializing with other exhibits, it'd taken Ahkmen a long while to figure out exactly where he went. That he'd found him was more about luck than skill, if he was honest, but he wasn't about to show that.

Despite his best attempts to ignore his visitor, the slight tensing in his shoulders gave Kahmun away. Ahkmen waited for acknowledgment as long as he felt was necessary, and then pointedly took a seat beside his brother.

“You'll die if you stay up here too long.”

“I'm well aware of the time limit,” he replied, voice drawn out and bored. “Don't you have a party to lead?”

“They can survive without me. Besides, I can't waste a full moon.”

In spite of himself, Kahmun glanced down at the tablet. “I'm amazed you'll bring that around me, considering what I'm told happened last time.”

“The actual you understands that there's no throne to fight for, anymore, so I think I'll be alright.” He made a show of loosening his grip, though he certainly didn't take either hand off of it.

“And here I thought you ruled this prison we're stuck in.” He jerked a thumb back towards the door.

“Stop pouting, this is not a prison just because it's not in-”

“It's nicely dressed," Kahmun said, firmly. "But unless you can honestly say that you wanted to be dragged from your tomb, your homeland, and the afterlife, we were all brought here against our will and cannot leave without dying. Certainly sounds like a prison to me.”

“Two of the three,” he said, flippant to mask any hesitation. When his brother looked over in shock, Ahkmen ran his fingers over the inscriptions on the tablet. “Thanks to this, the Gods never believed me to be properly dead. So, I never actually made it to the afterlife.”

His eyes narrowed, just a bit. "You had to have been judged, at least."

Ahkmen let his nail catch in one of the deep grooves rather than answer.

Kahmun's hand twitched, ready to cover his brother's before he thought better of it and kept them firmly in his lap. “I... had no idea.”

For a moment, his eyes darted from his lap to his brother. "So, what's it like?"

He exhaled, wistfully, as he kept his gaze on the city. “Paradise. Your cup never runs dry, you're always surrounded by everyone you would want to be around-”

“Any family?” he asked.

“I'm sure most have everyone they'd lived with, but for me it was just my Mother." After a thought, he added, "Who you would have liked by the way. She loved the river almost as much as you did.”

He sniffed, amusedly. “With the way you bragged about your campaigns, I figured you would be at war rather than a feast.”

“You've read too many romantics if you think anyone actually enjoys war,” he replied. “Though I did keep all my best horses. And a few that I'd wish I'd been able to drive.” He glanced over without turning his head. “You didn't deserve to miss out on it. I think you'd have been able to handle the pharaoh's duty quite well.”

Ahkmen's brow pulled down as he side-eyed his brother. “Considering the last time we saw each other, I'd have thought you would have been ok with me missing out.”

His jaw tightened. “I know you aren't going to believe me, but it wasn't because I disliked you.”

“Strangling someone doesn't typically come off as friendly, no. Though, even at the time, I figured it was more for my coronation more than anything else.”

“Your coronation was on the anniversary of my otherwise healthy mother's conveniently timed death. The one that allowed your mother to take her place before she could begin to show.” Kahmun balled his fists until the knuckles began to turn white. “I had already been told about my next assignment, and I knew it was a suicide mission. And even though I'd made my peace with that, I wasn't about to leave Father with the satisfaction of getting everything he'd ever wanted.” His hands relaxed, if only slightly. “For whatever it's worth, I did everything I could to ensure you had proper passage after that. I just hadn't counted on the tablet being quite that potent.”

“I read about your last campaign.”

"It was a slaughter." He shook his head, and tried to force himself not to dwell on the memory. "Did the texts ever say if we were set up, or was it just coincidence that we'd run into an army three times the size our scouts had quoted?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" When he was met with silence, he moved on. "But what I couldn't find out was why you were allowed to go in the first place. Father had to have known, and he'd never been in the mood to let you just walk away before. So... why weren't you executed? Or banished, or..?"

He laughed, curtly. "Of course he knew, the same way I knew he'd had my mother poisoned. But he couldn't prove it any more than I could, and there were far too many soldiers loyal to me to demand an execution for mere speculation. So, instead he sent me off to an easier to mask death." His mouth twitched into a bitter smirk. "Which backfired on him, since valiant efforts to defend Egypt against overwhelming odds allowed me to sail rather easily through my trials." His mouth was taunt as he looked his brother in the eye. "Considering how you died, I figured you had already done the same.”

“No.” Ahkmen shrugged. “Though with what I got to experience after I was forced out of Egypt, I suppose I might have broken even. I finally got to travel, after all.”

"I suppose it's one way to do it. Hopefully you will get back to Egypt, one day, and get to try your hand."

"Doubtful, but who knows." He looked down at the tablet which, power fully restored, glowed gently in his lap. “I think this might be the longest conversation we've ever had.”

“Well, I was twenty some years your senior, and always off at war trying to earn back my birthright...”

“I didn't exactly help things. I suppose I was a bit of a gnat when you did come home.”

“Yes, but I could have been more patient about it. Getting mad at you wasn't about to change my lot."

"Prodding you about it wasn't about to change mine." He sat up straighter to watch the sky over London begin to change color. "Do you think anyone expected us to get along?"

"Considering they seemed to wait until I was around to bestow gifts on you, I think it was the exact opposite."

“Well, after a few thousand years, a few decades doesn't matter much. And unless you want my side of the display, there's nothing to fight over now.” He tucked the tablet under his arm as he stood. “We might stand a chance. Our prison sentence means we have nothing but time, after all.” He held up a finger, and after a beat pointed towards the door just as the warning bell rang. “But not tonight.”

“Seems so.” Kahmun took one last look at the city before he stood and headed back towards the door. “Some other time?”

“We'll see. I am king of the party, after all.”

"Next full moon, then."

"Or, and I'm just throwing this out there, you could come down and at least try to enjoy yourself." He held the door open as Kahmun passed through. "I've tried spending this time alone. Believe me, the charm wears off."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that, sometime." He headed back down the stairs towards the Egyptian exhibit. "Stranger things have happened."


End file.
